If you truly value language immersion...what do you do about the DCPS approach to academics?

[Anonymous]

Immersion works best earlier you start of course. Spanish is an easier language to learn academically than English. Especially spelling! Road and broad...rhyme? My k and 2 think I'm joking.

Have you learned another language? If not, it can be very challenging for you as kids age. Google translate only gets you so far with homework.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Immersion works best earlier you start of course. Spanish is an easier language to learn academically than English. Especially spelling! Road and broad...rhyme? My k and 2 think I'm joking.

Have you learned another language? If not, it can be very challenging for you as kids age. Google translate only gets you so far with homework.

True. English is my only language, but that is not an issue at our current DCPS since they don't receive any homework in 1st grade Spanish! Should they decide to finally send home some, I am ready with a native speaker to assist with that.

I've heard good things about Stokes, but that is not an option for us. As one pp noted, we need an immersion program in DCPS that teaches above the standards to enhance curriculum. But I don't believe this is going to be found at a low performing school. IMO the academics don't really come into play until first grade and up. If you have a child who learns the basics with ease (or worst - already knows many of the things they plan to cover at that level), they are stuck. That is, if the teacher doesn't make a concerted effort to reach each child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Immersion works best earlier you start of course. Spanish is an easier language to learn academically than English. Especially spelling! Road and broad...rhyme? My k and 2 think I'm joking.

Have you learned another language? If not, it can be very challenging for you as kids age. Google translate only gets you so far with homework.

True. English is my only language, but that is not an issue at our current DCPS since they don't receive any homework in 1st grade Spanish! Should they decide to finally send home some, I am ready with a native speaker to assist with that.

I've heard good things about Stokes, but that is not an option for us. As one pp noted, we need an immersion program in DCPS that teaches above the standards to enhance curriculum. But I don't believe this is going to be found at a low performing school. IMO the academics don't really come into play until first grade and up. If you have a child who learns the basics with ease (or worst - already knows many of the things they plan to cover at that level), they are stuck. That is, if the teacher doesn't make a concerted effort to reach each child.

You won't find one, it doesn't exist and never will. By definition DCPS teaches the standards. If you want something more you have to go private or charter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Immersion works best earlier you start of course. Spanish is an easier language to learn academically than English. Especially spelling! Road and broad...rhyme? My k and 2 think I'm joking.

Have you learned another language? If not, it can be very challenging for you as kids age. Google translate only gets you so far with homework.

True. English is my only language, but that is not an issue at our current DCPS since they don't receive any homework in 1st grade Spanish! Should they decide to finally send home some, I am ready with a native speaker to assist with that.

I've heard good things about Stokes, but that is not an option for us. As one pp noted, we need an immersion program in DCPS that teaches above the standards to enhance curriculum. But I don't believe this is going to be found at a low performing school. IMO the academics don't really come into play until first grade and up. If you have a child who learns the basics with ease (or worst - already knows many of the things they plan to cover at that level), they are stuck. That is, if the teacher doesn't make a concerted effort to reach each child.

You won't find one, it doesn't exist and never will. By definition DCPS teaches the standards. If you want something more you have to go private or charter.

Not true. We are at a DCPS that teaches above standards.

[Anonymous]

If there is a DCPS that has a curriculum beyond the DC standards, they've done a very poor job of advertising it. DCPS has DC standards, that's it. If you want a challenging actual curriculum, look at KIPP.

[Anonymous]

KIPP is not immersion, which I think was the original point. However, it is true that there is no curriculum in DCPS beyond the DC standards.

If you want an elementary school that does more than the DC standards, your choices are private, parochial, or charter.

[Anonymous]

My DS is in 1st at Brent (which I know is not immersion). His current teacher has a really great job especially in reading of reaching each child individually where they are. There are probably kids in her class reading on the 3rd grade level and kid who started (new to Brent this year) who didn't have letter recognition down. They have all progressed. She knows exactly where each kid is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If there is a DCPS that has a curriculum beyond the DC standards, they've done a very poor job of advertising it. DCPS has DC standards, that's it. If you want a challenging actual curriculum, look at KIPP.

We have the same standard (all DCPS and charters have the same standards) BUT our DCPS teachers teach above the standard. Y would a school advertise doing something that goes againstt what headquarters mandate. I'm sure not going to say anything....Just glad we are at the school. Glad we have the teachers that we have.

I wish teh original posted luck. There are some good if not Great DCPS...and they are not all in upper northwest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there is a DCPS that has a curriculum beyond the DC standards, they've done a very poor job of advertising it. DCPS has DC standards, that's it. If you want a challenging actual curriculum, look at KIPP.

We have the same standard (all DCPS and charters have the same standards) BUT our DCPS teachers teach above the standard. Y would a school advertise doing something that goes againstt what headquarters mandate. I'm sure not going to say anything....Just glad we are at the school. Glad we have the teachers that we have.

I wish teh original posted luck. There are some good if not Great DCPS...and they are not all in upper northwest.

Is this the reason the posters who have mentioned being at schools that teach above the standards won't mention them by name? Are you afraid someone from HQ will charge in and attempt to "dumb down" the students? As long as the kids are meeting the standards, do they really care if a teacher goes above? Would a teacher really be reprimanded for such? If someone is willing to go out on a limb, please name your DCPS with an outstanding "above the standards" approach with language immersion.

[Anonymous]

Unless 100% of the students are proficient or better (which describes NO DCPS, although JKLM come close)? No, they are not teaching "above the standard" (what does that even mean)? They are teaching the DC standards, period. And there is no DCPS curriculum, period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless 100% of the students are proficient or better (which describes NO DCPS, although JKLM come close)? No, they are not teaching "above the standard" (what does that even mean)? They are teaching the DC standards, period. And there is no DCPS curriculum, period.

High quality teachers absolutely will utilize differentiated learning in the classroom. And if some children have met the standards then the only direction to go is up...i.e. above the standards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I too have a child at Stokes. PreK classes are writing letters and now have moved onto writing words i.e., "it" words, "at" words, etc. I feel that, at least for now, my child is right on target academically and has surprised me with the Spanish he is learning. I've been very pleased thus far with Stokes.

Yuck. Word families are a really oudated way of teaching reading, there's also no evidence that pushing these skills down to PreK results in anything other than sacrificing the language and social skills kids should be developing at this age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there is a DCPS that has a curriculum beyond the DC standards, they've done a very poor job of advertising it. DCPS has DC standards, that's it. If you want a challenging actual curriculum, look at KIPP.

We have the same standard (all DCPS and charters have the same standards) BUT our DCPS teachers teach above the standard. Y would a school advertise doing something that goes againstt what headquarters mandate. I'm sure not going to say anything....Just glad we are at the school. Glad we have the teachers that we have.

I wish teh original posted luck. There are some good if not Great DCPS...and they are not all in upper northwest.

DC Charter Schools can set their own standards, if they choose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[DC Charter Schools can set their own standards, if they choose.

The standards set by OSSE (Office of State S. . .Education) apply to both DCPS and Charters. Charters can set their own curriculum, but these standards apply to them. They are pretty vague and nondescript, but they do apply to charters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[DC Charter Schools can set their own standards, if they choose.

The standards set by OSSE (Office of State S. . .Education) apply to both DCPS and Charters. Charters can set their own curriculum, but these standards apply to them. They are pretty vague and nondescript, but they do apply to charters.

Thank you.